Red Card on Balogun Suspended - Should We be Happy or Embarrassed?

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary

Red Card on Balogun Suspended – Should We be Happy or Embarrassed?

Payne & Pendergast (Audacy) | July 6, 2026
Hosts: Seth Payne & (In for Sean) Luke Morrow

---

Overview

This episode dives into the surprising and controversial decision by FIFA to suspend – but not enforce – US striker Folarin Balogun’s World Cup red card. With Balogun allowed to play the upcoming knockout match versus Belgium, the hosts debate whether US fans should feel proud, embarrassed, or both. The conversation unpacks fan reactions, international perceptions, and the rare nature of this decision in World Cup history, blending insider perspectives with classic Payne & Pendergast humor and Houston flavor.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Big News: Balogun’s Suspended Suspension

• [01:30–02:13] Luke opens with the update: Balogun, after a controversial red card, will be allowed to play against Belgium because FIFA suspended his one-match ban – an “almost unprecedented” move.
  • Luke Morrow (01:30): “The big news over the weekend is that he’ll be able to play in the match tonight with Belgium. 7pm start, huge match... I was surprised by the reaction of a lot of the fans – obviously a lot of fans happy.”
• This is not about the call itself, but “the story around the call.” There is speculation that political intervention, particularly by President Trump, influenced FIFA’s decision.

2. Did Politics Play a Role? Should It?

• [02:12–03:23] Seth expresses ambivalence and unease over the US President contacting FIFA. He worries it reinforces negative stereotypes about American power and FIFA’s reputation.
  • Seth Payne (03:01): “I feel a little bit uneasy about the president reaching out to FIFA and putting it... where FIFA doesn’t have the best reputation for running things on the up-and-up. America’s got a reputation as a bully and I feel like it’s the perfect storm of a whole bunch of crap... It’s tainted any potential victory regardless where you stand politically.”
• Both hosts agree the red card was a dubious call, but question whether setting a precedent for intervention is right.

3. The Rarity of the Decision and Its Implications

• [04:23–05:40] Luke and Seth unpack how rare this is. Seth notes, “It appears to be the first time since 1962 that a red card during a World Cup didn’t result in a suspension.”
  • Seth Payne (05:00): “Is there any world in which FIFA would have come by this decision without the US exerting pressure...? It’s hard to imagine that would be the case.”
• Luke gives a relatable analogy: “It feels like you didn’t make the baseball team growing up and your parent calls the coach and it’s like, ‘Hey, you gotta put him back on the team.’”

4. Emotional and Cultural Reactions

• [06:03–07:52] The debate turns to feelings of embarrassment versus pride.
  • Seth admits the “jingoistic side” of him feels, “screw what anybody else thinks around the world. USA! USA! Damn it.”
  • But he worries the controversy will erase recent goodwill from foreign fans: “It’s been so nice the last few weeks getting all this love... Now, bam, we got this. This potential for huge divisiveness and all the goodwill from the last few weeks feels like it’s just going to dry up and blow out the window as people are... amazed at how big our cars are and how cheap the gas is compared to a lot of European nations.”

5. What’s Next for Red Cards? “Orange Card” Ideas

• [04:04–04:23; 11:41–12:05] Luke proposes introducing an “orange card” in soccer—akin to college football’s targeting rule—where a player is ejected for the remainder of that match but not suspended for the next.
  • Luke Morrow (04:22): “Let’s have a yellow card, a red card, and then in soccer in between, like add an orange card... you don’t have to miss any other time afterwards.”
  • Luke restates the idea, noting his grandfather was a soccer league commissioner: “In his honor, I’m going to start this push... orange cards where you can get kicked out of that match, but you don’t have to get suspended for the next one.”

6. Insider Reactions and Tradition

• [08:00–09:08] Luke shares feedback from soccer insiders, including friends with deep ties to US soccer.
  • Even US supporters who found the red card unjust “hated breaking this tradition” of punishment. “You never put a guy back out there after getting the red card. And it feels a little tainted already.”
  • Seth admits: “Because I’m the most casual of casual soccer fans, I’m just going to shove it to the back of my brain and pretend that it never existed. That’s... the way it goes. Them’s the brakes, man.”

7. Quick Astros/Umpires Sidebar

• [12:38–15:30] A brief tangent on MLB umpiring retirement and the new challenge system, but the primary focus remains on the soccer debate.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Seth Payne (03:01):
  “America’s got a reputation as a bully and I feel like it’s the perfect storm of a whole bunch of crap... It’s tainted any potential victory regardless where you stand politically.”
• Luke Morrow (05:40):
  “It feels like you didn’t make the baseball team growing up and your parent calls the coach... That’s how you get your spot on the roster.”
• Seth Payne (07:07):
  “There’s the jingoistic side of me that says screw what anybody else thinks around the world. USA! USA! Damn it... The other part of it—it’s been so nice the last few weeks getting all this love... and now, bam, we got this.”
• Luke Morrow (04:22):
  “Let’s have a yellow card, a red card, and then in soccer in between, like add an orange card... you don’t have to miss any other time afterwards.”
• Seth Payne (09:08):
  “I’m the most casual of casual soccer fans, I’m just going to shove it to the back of my brain and pretend that it never existed. That’s... the way it goes. Them’s the brakes, man.”

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------| | 01:30 | News Recap: Balogun’s red card suspension | | 02:21 | Political intervention: Trump & FIFA | | 03:01 | Ethical discomfort - American reputation | | 05:00 | First time since 1962: Decision’s rarity | | 06:03 | “Rich kid on the team” analogy | | 07:07 | Pride, embarrassment, international perception | | 08:00 | Soccer insiders’ reactions, tradition break | | 11:41 | Luke proposes “orange card” |

---

Tone and Style

• Banter is lively, sarcastic, and self-aware, keeping Houston sports fans engaged.
• Both hosts remain accessible for casual listeners, regularly poking fun at themselves and American soccer’s underdog status.
• The conversation mixes skepticism, humor, and some self-critique—mirroring Houston’s “everyman” sports talk style.

---

Conclusion

Payne & Pendergast deliver a sharp, nuanced breakdown of the Balogun red card controversy. Both see the injustice in the initial call but wrestle with the ethical and reputational baggage of its reversal—landing somewhere between unapologetic patriotism and uneasy embarrassment. The episode provides honest fan reactions, historical context, and even rule-change suggestions, making it essential listening for Houston sports die-hards and soccer fans navigating this “perfect storm” of World Cup drama.

Transcript

[Charles Barkley]

It's Charles Barkley here with Wayfair, and let me tell you, game day is serious business at my house. If I'm grilling, chilling and watching hoops, my outdoor setup better be ready to play. That's where Wayfair wins. From patio seating and umbrellas to grills and grill accessories, Wayfair's got it all and it shows up fast. I'm talking fast and easy delivery. So level up your grill game and your outdoor chill game and head to Wayfarer.com to get your outdoor space ready for the season.

[Kelly Clarkson]

Wayfair Every Style, Every Home

[Lowe's Announcer]

Messy Fans Lowe's Messy halftime event hits July 19th that's coming up fast. So now's a really good time to become a Mylo's Rewards or a My Lo's Pro Rewards member. Join for free and get access to exclusive messy moments and epic surprises. Let's just say halftime's looking different this year. Make sure to follow Lowes on TikTok and tune in to the Lowes Messy halftime event on July 19th. Members get more at Lowe's loyalty programs subject to terms and conditions. Visit lowe's.com terms for details.

[Snapple Announcer]

Subject to check Would you look at that? It's time for some of our favorite Snapple reelfacts. Real fact 1433 Toe wrestling is a competitive sport. Real fact 732 the chicken is the closest living relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Rio back 1599aman once ate an entire airplane. Yowch. Did he have any hot sauce?

[Lowe's Announcer]

Yep.

[Snapple Announcer]

So anyways, this has been a refreshing break brought to you by Snapple Real Tea Real juice with Snap's a dizzy refreshing.

[Luke Morrow]

Should we feel happy or are we feeling a little embarrassed? Based off of the news yesterday with the World cup where they have suspended the suspension for that red card that was given out to Flo Baligan. Hey, it's Pain and Pendergast. I'm Luke Morrow in for Sean alongside Seth Payne, of course. And you can always join the conversation. I should have mentioned this earlier, but 713-572-4610 to text the show at any time. Oh yeah. So the big news over the weekend is that he'll be able to play in the match tonight with Belgium. 7pm start here central time. Big match. And Seth, I don't know how you feel, but I was surprised by the reaction of a lot of the Obviously a lot of fans happy.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Luke Morrow]

And I'm not even getting political here. We're not even talking about the political side of this because you know, as the stories go, that's what led to the suspension of this quote unquote suspension.

[Seth Payne]

The US And Donald Trump himself reached out to FIFA and had conversations with the FIFA president and this ends up getting revoked. Which. Or suspended the automatic one game band, the red card. They suspended the one game ban.

[Jimmy Conrad]

Yeah.

[Luke Morrow]

It's pushed off a year. So he will like serve a suspension, but not for a year.

[Seth Payne]

This is, this is one of those all too easy situations. You know what we've gotten really good at America at doing? Luke is saying, hey, let's separate politics from this. Nobody's better at it than us as of late. But especially when it comes, when it involves the President, especially when to it comes. I do feel like you can. I am, I am really, I'm ambivalent about this to an extreme degree. So I would say whoever the president is, whether it was Trump or Obama or Clinton or Bush or Bush, I do, I feel a little bit uneasy about the president reaching out to FIFA and putting it, putting in a position where FIFA doesn't have the best reputation for running things on the up and up. America's got a reputation as a bully and I feel like it's the perfect storm of a whole bunch of crap that I had gotten myself all geared up for. Okay, man. If the US wins this game without their best player because of an unjust red card, that'll be the story of all stories. And now I feel like that it's tainted any potential victory regardless of where you stand politically. And at the same time also, it was an unjust red card or at least the suspension feels excessive after the red card. I'm cool with. I understand the red card part of it, but it just the fact that you do get suspended for the next game feels extreme and heavy handed.

[Luke Morrow]

Yeah, it does. You know, we were talking about in the group chat yesterday and I feel like there should be a sliding scale. And same thing in college football with targeting where like let's have a yellow card, a red card and then in soccer in between, like add an orange card where that's the end the rest of the of that current match.

[Charles Barkley]

Yeah.

[Luke Morrow]

But you don't have to miss any other time afterwards. Which similar in college football at targeting where I think we need a little more judgment involved instead of like once you get a targeting penalty, you're out for the next game as well. If it happens in the second half where it might just be incidental. I think similar with some of these red cards too where I haven't found Anybody who has agreed that, like, oh, yeah, that was a good red car, red card. That was the right call. It was a bad call. I don't think it should mean you automatically miss the next match. But, but I also don't think it should mean that we, we bend the rules, which for those that aren't, are unfamiliar and curious why this is such a big story. It's because, like, this never happens. They don't ever reverse this to allow a player to play.

[Seth Payne]

It's. It appears to be the first time since 1962 that a red card during a World cup didn't result in a suspension. That's the, that's the. So it's. And this is. I, this is one of those things where it's impossible now that because Trump called the FIFA president, it's impossible to not connect dots. And yet I just. Is there any world in which FIFA would have come by this decision without the US Exerting pressure, intervening somehow or some way? It's, I guess it's hard for, it's hard to imagine that that would be the case, given this is the first time it's happened since 1962.

[Luke Morrow]

Yeah.

[Alltrails Announcer]

Yeah.

[Luke Morrow]

It wasn't expected. And that's why I was saying, like, the embarrassing part is because it just feels like classic us of like forcing, you know, forcing him back on the, on the pitch. And it's reminiscent again, like you said, regardless, like, who the president is or even whoever made the call, it feels like you didn't make the baseball team growing up and your parent calls the coach and it's like, hey, you got to put him back on the team. What are you doing? And, you know, and then that's how you get your spot on the roster.

[Seth Payne]

You're the rich kid on the team that, like, you're the starting pitcher and you're self aware that you're not the best or you're like, you're the, you're the best. The number one pitcher and on the team, despite being like the fifth or sixth best pitcher on the team. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Luke Morrow]

When, you know, like, it's embarrassing when you're like, I shouldn't be here. I'm not supposed to be here.

[Seth Payne]

This is where, this is where I am with it. I think I'm going to go based on the fact that the US Players themselves, I think from everything I saw, I thought they handled it all with grace. I, you know, I think they did. Like, they weren't happy about it, obviously, but there wasn't a whole bunch of bellyaching about it and everything. They'd kind of put their heads down and gone about their business. And the other thing, too is you have to remember us is an underdog when it comes to soccer. That, listen, this isn't like the. This isn't like the Yankees outspending everybody every year or the Dodgers or somebody like that. It's. This is a little bit different. You know, we're. We're the lovable underdogs. That's how I choose to look at it.

[Luke Morrow]

Yeah, that's true. We're fixing an injustice to the underdogs.

[Seth Payne]

The part of it. Okay, so there's. These are two things. First, there's the jingoistic side of me that says screw what anybody else thinks around the world. Usa. Usa. Damn it. And we believe that we will win it and such. The other part of it, man, it's been so nice the last few weeks getting all this love heaped on us from all of these countries saying, no, America is different than what we were led to believe. These people are so friendly and they're so awesome and they're so nice. And now, bam, we got this. This potential for huge divisiveness and all the goodwill from the last few weeks feels like it's just going to dry up and blow out the window as people are driving at breakneck speeds on our open rural highways and amazed at how big our cars are and how cheap the gas is compared to a lot of European nations.

[Luke Morrow]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's true. It's true. And if you're looking at the odds, by the way, us, we were, I think, a slight underdog previously. And then once this news came out, became a favorite and then actually overnight for whatever, it's not a good sign, but we've been bet back to even. So money's been coming in on belgium the last 24 hours, and now we're about even. Both teams have about minus 110 odds. So it's like a 50, 50 toss up for the match tonight. But from a betting perspective, that did have at least an initial impact that it certainly helps the US in. In this match tonight. I have a few friends that are really like, they played college soccer. One of my buddies coaches now. In fact, I can be a name dropper and so to name drop and I'll put his business out there. But one of my best friends is Nick DiCicco, whose father, Tony DeCicco, was the coach of the women's national team. When Brandi Chastain did the sliding, you know, she had the Winning goal, slid on her knees, took her top off. Back in 99, he was the coach of that, that national team. And we were texting over the week and I was surprised that my soccer buddies, they all hated the red card and. But it's, you know, it's soccer. They call it like the beautiful game. And I mean, they hated breaking this tradition of like, even though it helps us as us, you never put a guy back out there after getting the red card. And it feels a little tainted already.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, I didn't see if it was like they said, since 1962. I don't know if there was a rule change before then or after in 1962 or something. The article I had seen didn't, didn't paint it out any more than just saying, first time since 1962. I don't know. I think, I think this is the kind of thing that because I'm a. I'm the most casual of casual soccer fans, I'm just going to shove it to the back of my brain and pretend that it never existed.

[Luke Morrow]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

This is just the way. This is the way it goes. That's. Them's the brakes, man.

[Luke Morrow]

Yeah. Yeah. It's true.

[Alltrails Announcer]

We all belong outside. We are drawn to nature. It calls to us. Whether it's the recorded sounds of the ocean we doze off to or the succulents that adorn our homes, nature makes all of our lives richer, calmer, and frankly, better. Despite all this, we often go about our busy lives removed from it. But the outdoors is closer than we realize. With Alltrails, you can discover trails nearby or trails worth traveling to and explore confidently with offline maps and on trail navigation. Whether you're looking for a laid back walk with family or something more adventurous to get your heart pumping, Alltrails gives you the tools you need to get out there and find your outside. Download the free app today and make the most of your summer with Alltrails.

[Kelly Clarkson]

Hey, y', all, it's Kelly Clarkson with Wayfair. Ever order furniture online and wonder what if? Like, what if it doesn't fit? A little to the left?

[Snapple Announcer]

No, wait. Yep.

[Kelly Clarkson]

Should have gone with Wayfair. Or what if it doesn't hold up?

[Luke Morrow]

That sofa was four days old.

[Kelly Clarkson]

Should have ordered from Wayfair. Or what if it's that material that makes that noise?

[Luke Morrow]

It was a sofa.

[Kelly Clarkson]

I swear. With Wayfair, there's no what if. Just style you love, quality you can trust, and furniture that actually fits your life. Visit wayfair.com or download the Wayfair app Wayfair every style, Every home.

[Lowe's Announcer]

Messy fans. Lowe's Messy halftime event hits July 19th. That's coming up fast. So now's a really good time to become a Milo's Rewards or. Or a My Loews Pro Rewards member. Join for free and get access to exclusive messy moments and epic surprises. Let's just say halftime's looking different this year. Make sure to follow Lowe's on TikTok and tune in to the Lowe's Messy halftime event on July 19. Members get more at Lowe's loyalty programs subject to terms and conditions. Visit lowe's.com terms for details. Subject to change.

[Luke Morrow]

My grandfather was once a commissioner of a soccer league, and so in his honor, I'm going to start this push. Like I said, let's create orange cards where you can get. You can get kicked out of that match, but you don't have to get suspended for the next one.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Luke Morrow]

Because of this whole situation.

[Seth Payne]

Is there no. Is there no getting suspended for the first half or anything in soccer the way we have it in football sometimes?

[Luke Morrow]

Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I. Honestly, I don't know soccer that.

[Seth Payne]

Or is that just what coaches do? Sometimes I feel like. Sometimes there's, like. You know, I always admire the coaches that bench their star player for one series.

[Luke Morrow]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Like, that is. That is just giving token acknowledgment of something right there. Yeah.

[Luke Morrow]

Especially when it's in college and it's like Michigan doing it when they play, you know, whatever Howard or somebody, you know, like some. Some FCS school. And for the first series.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, you're. Listen, buster, if you thought you were going to get more than 350 yards rushing today, good luck. That's your punishment.

[Luke Morrow]

Gonna show you. Hey, by the way, speaking of officiating and whatnot, I do love that.

[Charles Barkley]

I.

[Luke Morrow]

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but we've had seven umpires over the weekend, except buyouts from Major League Baseball, to retire at the end of the year.

[Seth Payne]

Oh, I missed that. Oh, okay.

[Luke Morrow]

Yeah, I should drop it in the rundown. I don't have the list in front of me. I can go find it. But they were all ranked. They've all been ranked towards the bottom of the league in terms of, like, you know, proper strike zone this year. And so finally, after all this time where we had Angel Hernandez forced upon us, like, finally, there is some accountability here where seven of the worst umpires are, quote, unquote, retiring at the end of the year, essentially, I guess, being forced out. I'm Going to credit this whole challenging system for. For that.

[Seth Payne]

Is CB Buckner one of them? He is, yeah. Because you were. Because, remember, CB Buckner had that horrendous series of events early in the season, and then, remember, he got hit by. He got. Well, I can't even remember the circumstance. It was ugly, though, right? He got hit by. Did the ball carry him off the glove into his face or something?

[Luke Morrow]

Something like that. I think he missed some time.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, well, you know, I don't know if he's. And I don't think he's been back because he's on the. Yeah, he. He must not. I'm looking at the ABS tracker right now, and I don't think he's been back since he got injured because he's only had nine. The success rate against him was a 77.8% success rate in nine channels. Seven of nine challenges were successful. The Astros. The Astros, in facing the ABs, have been awesome. As batters, they're number one. Even with Cam Smith dragging them down, they're number one amongst batters, but then they're 27th when it comes to catchers and pitchers, and that matches the eyeball test. We dread the Astros catchers challenging a pitch. Or not. Or not. I feel like Vasquez. I get more frustrated with the pitches he doesn't challenge more so than some of the ones that he challenges. He lets a lot of. But. And I think he does an awesome job calling the game, and I think that's obvious. Pitchers love him, but that part of it, he just lags in.

[Luke Morrow]

That I saw over the weekend, Randy or Rosarina used both of the team's challenges, like, unsuccessfully. I think it was the first inning as well for the Mariners. He just burned through them. Yeah. Some guys. I know you guys have talked about it all year, like Cam Smith. Some guys just, you know, take. Take it away from them to be able to challenge. By the way, real quick, the list of umpires. CB Buckner's on that list. He's ranked. Now, as Seth mentioned, he hasn't umped in a while because he suffered a concussion from a foul ball, but he's ranked 91st out of 91 this year. He's the worst of the umpires. He accepted the buyout. So did Laz Diaz. That's a big name. Brian Onora. That's another big name. Lance Barksdale, Marvin Hudson, Tony Randazzo and Andy Fletcher are all, quote, unquote, retiring at the end of the year.

[Seth Payne]

So I hope they get a fake gold watch on their way out. Yeah, just get some of they go down and buy them down on on the street in New York City or something.

[Luke Morrow]

That's right. See you guys later. Baseball will probably be better for it, all due respect. Have a great retirement. Hey, coming up, time for headlines, including, you know, we were just talking about us. They play Belgium tonight. It's a big match. But I do have a thought on sort of, I guess, the irony of their success. We'll get to that along with the the other headlines going on in the sports world. We'll do it next year on pain and Pendergast.

[Lowe's Announcer]

Messi Fans Lowe's Messi halftime event hits July 19th. That's coming up fast. So now's a really good time to become a Milo's Rewards or my Lowe's Pro Rewards member. Join for free and get access to exclusive messy moments and epic surprises. Let's just say halftime's looking different this year. Make sure to follow Lowes on TikTok and tune in to the Lowe's Messy halftime event on July 19th. Members get more at Lowe's loyalty programs subject to terms and conditions. Visit Lowes.com terms for details. Subject to change.

[Snapple Announcer]

Would you look at that. It's time for some of our favorite Snapple reel facts. Real fact 1433 Toe wrestling is a competitive sport. Real fact 732The is the closest living relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and reeled back 1599aman once ate an entire airplane. Yowch. Did he have any hot sauce?

[Lowe's Announcer]

Yeah.

[Snapple Announcer]

So anyways, this has been a refreshing break brought to you by Snapple. Real tea, real juice with Snapps and Disney.

[Luke Morrow]

Refreshing.

[MLB Announcer]

We, the people of the ballpark, are all in on baseball. We deserve dingers and dogs, sunshine and a beat. A place to take it all in and let it all out. Baseball for the people, baseball is something else. Visit mlb.com tickets and spend this summer with U.S. major League Baseball. Trademarks used with permission.

[Snapple Announcer]

Presented by T Mobile, the official wireless partner of Odyssey Sports. With an awesome network and great savings. There's never been a better time to join T Mobile. Visit your neighborhood store to make the switch today

[Jimmy Conrad]

as the U.S. men's National Team takes center stage at a home World Cup. Make sure you're listening to Call it what yout Want, part of the CBS Sports Podcast Network, where you can join me. I'm Jimmy Conrad alongside Charlie Davies, Tony Miola, Marcelo Balboa and Benny Fieldhaber throughout this tournament for previews, instant reactions and analysis of every US Match. Then all summer we're back every Tuesday and Thursday covering all things U.S. men's National Team. Download and follow. Call it what you want on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.